EACH week, we try to shine the spotlight on top venues where people can socialise with family and friends around East Lancashire. This time we have visited the Ribble Valley to find out more about Jack’s Of Whalley.

Name of the pub

Jack’s Of Whalley

Address of the pub:

59 King Street, Whalley

Landlord/landlady name:

Husband and wife team, Jack and Katie Cookson

How long have you been the landlord/landlady for?

Six and a half years

Bar staff and their names:

Jack, Katie, Ben, Oliver and Lucas

Give us some history about the pub

Before opening the bar together, Jack worked at the Whalley Wine Shop where he developed his keen knowledge for beers, wines and spirits - while Katie worked in various catering and hospitality roles.

Is food served?

We serve a small selection of Stables pies, crisps, nuts and olives.

Is there a beer garden?

Yes, our secluded garden is out back and is overlooked by Whalley church.

Do you have any darts/snooker/pool teams?

No, but we have board games out on Wednesday nights.

Most popular drink served is:

Definitely gin and tonic, we have over 50 gins to choose from.

Most memorable moment at the pub?

When ex-Burnley boss Sean Dyche bought a drink for everybody at the bar!

Do you have an entertainment line-up?

We prefer a relaxed atmosphere, so we have a playlist of classic Blues and Motown in the background.

Have you faced any challenges within the industry?

During the Covid-19 pandemic, where we received very little help from the government to pay our bills and we had to pay full rent to our landlady with no money coming in. We also lost all of our staff and had to dip into our life savings to survive. We also worry about the ever-increasing cost of our products affecting our customers, we have to pay more for everything we serve and our energy costs are rising too. People will only pay so much for a pint!

The best thing about running a pub is...

The camaraderie between our staff is brilliant, we all have fun at work. We also have a tight network with the other drinking establishments in the village.

The worst thing about running a pub is...

It’s messy work! There’s a lot of cleaning at the end of each day. It’s not always easy to keep your clothes and hands looking nice when you’re changing barrels and getting beer all over you.

The perfect hangover cure is...

A bacon, brie and cranberry baguette from Deb’s Diner!